


A Little Bit of Christmas

by kickcows



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: First Kiss, Holidays, M/M, Slow Burn, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:49:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28077993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kickcows/pseuds/kickcows
Summary: All of the Avengers head home for the holidays, while Steve stays up at the compound by himself. Tony invites him to return to the Avengers Tower with him, which Steve knows he can’t say no to. Set after the events of A:AoU and prior to the events of Civil War.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 12
Kudos: 22
Collections: 2020 Captain America/Iron Man Holiday Exchange





	A Little Bit of Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [talesofsuspense](https://archiveofourown.org/users/talesofsuspense/gifts).



> This is my gift fic for Talesofsuspense! :) Please enjoy!

* * *

Steve sits at his desk, his eyes focused on the calendar that has little x marks on the days that have passed, marking the countdown to the one day of the year that he looks forward to but also dreads because of his situation. There’s a small nativity scene at the side of his desk and a small artificial tree that sits on the opposite side, decorated with small blue and red ornaments. Picking up his pen, he marks off the number twenty, as the day is almost at an end, pushing him one day closer to Christmas. 

A knock on his door has him lifting his head up. “Come in.” He sets his pen down, and leans back in his chair as the door slowly opens to reveal his friend and partner, Natasha. “Nat - what brings you here?” 

“Just wanted to see how you were doing. A few of us are heading out today - you gonna come say goodbye?” She leans against the door, a friendly smile on her face. “You sure you don’t want to join Clint and I?” 

“No.” Steve stands up, pushing his chair back as he does. The carpet mutes the noise of it scraping against the floor, his hand on the back of it to push it back under his desk. “You two don’t need me to come up to the farm.” 

“You know the kids love you.” 

“It’s alright.” He shakes his head, a sad smile on his face. “Sam is here until the twenty-third, and I think Tony is heading back to the city after he leaves. I’ll be okay, Nat.” It’s always been this way the last few years - they all invite him to join him, but someone should stay behind at the compound in case an emergency arises. And it made sense that it would be him, as he has no one around. “I appreciate the offer, though.” 

“You’re always welcome to use one of the QuinJets if you decide to change your mind.” She loops her arm through his as they walk towards the common area of the compound. “You remember how to fly, don’t you?” 

“Oh, ha ha.” Rolling his eyes, he smiles as he hears her snort, the gentle ribbing a staple between the two of them. “We doing a big meal?” 

“If by big you mean Sam went a little heavy handed with his portions? Yes.” Natasha nods her head, the smell of dinner already permeating the air the closer they get to the room. “He’s made your favorite.” 

That comment causes a pang of guilt to appear in his gut, as he knows that not many of their group like what he likes. “I’ll be sure to eat everything.” 

“Cap!” He looks over and sees Clint waving at them. “You sure you’re not going to go with us? We’ve got plenty of room on the QuinJet.” 

Steve shakes his head. “No, it’s alright. You guys will have fun. When are you set to come back? After the new year?” 

“The fourth.” Natasha confirms, the three of them walking to the cafeteria, where they can hear revelry already being had. “Tony insisted.” 

“Of course he did.” Steve sighs. “Then I’ll be sure to have a good regime in place upon your return, as I am sure you two will be doing little exercise while you’re away.” 

“Have you met my kids?” Clint asks, a grin on his face. “We’ll show you, Cap.” 

“Mmhmm.” They walk into the cafeteria, and see the spread laid out in a buffet style. Natasha wasn’t wrong - Sam really went above and beyond for a true feast for all of them. 

“Capsicle.” Tony holds his hand up in greeting, adjusting the yellow sunglasses he wears with his other hand as he does so. “Heard you asked Sam to make that awful dish you like.” 

“I did no such thing.” He groans, noticing that both Natasha and Clint had abandoned him to deal with Tony alone. “Don’t worry - I’m going to eat it all so you won’t have any room to complain about its foul stench.” 

“I was going to say that I don’t mind the taste of it - probably because my old man also liked to eat it sometimes, but sure. You can eat it all yourself - you could probably eat five of what that bird menace has made for you.” Tony turns on his heel and starts to walk away. 

Steve’s shoulders drop with a soft sigh. They are always at war with each other, and he’s growing tired of it. But Tony - Tony has always been a complication; sometimes there are good days and sometimes there are bad days. Today seems to be a good day, considering Tony didn’t really attack him for the food that Sam had generously made for him, but he did have a quip about it. Shaking it off, he heads over to the table where everyone has gathered, and takes a seat. 

“Hey, Cap - got a bit of bad news for you.” Sam looks over at him, Steve giving his attention to him. “I’m heading out today.” 

“Really?” It’s difficult to keep the disappointment out of his voice, but he puts a smile on his face hoping that it takes away the edge that he now feels. “That’s great. Your Aunt’s schedule cleared up?” 

“It did.” Sam nods his head, Steve trying not to notice the look of concern on his face. “That means you’re gonna be alone until January.” 

“Excuse me.” Tony interrupts them, as he points a finger at Sam. “Who said he’s going to be alone? I’m not going anywhere yet.” 

“Yeah, but you are-” 

“Sam, it’s okay.” Steve immediately jumps in to prevent a war of words that aren’t necessary to have right now. Sam is constantly sticking up for him when it comes to Tony, and while he appreciates the support it isn’t necessary right now. “Tony - I thought you were heading back into the city?” 

“Nah, not yet.” While it comes as a relief, Steve also realizes that it might not be the best of options - being stuck here alone at the compound with Tony. Their friendship is solid, but can be volatile at times, and the holidays aren’t really a time when that should be a thing. “Probably on the twenty-fourth. Sorry, Doughboy - you’re stuck with me for a few more days.” 

He groans. “Tony, how many times do I need to remind you that I may be old, but I’m not _that_ old.” 

“I know - it’s just fun teasing you, Grandpa.” 

“Who wants to eat?” Vision comes over to the table after putting the last tray down. “We’ve got plenty of food to go around.” 

“It’s like you were prepping for Thor, but he’s not here.” Clint comments, a grin on his face. “You tryin’ to make us fat, Sam?” 

“I don’t know what kind of food you guys are gonna have in the next couple of weeks.” Sam shrugs, then points to the table. “Go eat.” 

Steve waits for everyone to grab their fill, and then gets up and loads his plate up with a variety of items, then grabs a bowl to get some of the cabbage soup that Sam has made especially for him. Everyone always complains about the awful smell, but there’s just something about the way cabbage soup tastes that takes him back to a much simpler time in his life - it’s a comfort food he always gravitates to at this time of the year. 

“Please eat all that soup.” Sam comments, as he dips his spoon into the bowl. “That smell is just terrible.” 

“I’ll do what I can.” He grins, not at all bothered by Sam’s comment. “I appreciate you making it for me.” Sam’s grunt makes the grin spread on his face as he knows his friend is showing him the true spirit of Christmas.

At the end of the meal, most of the food had been polished off by the remaining members of the team. Wanda had already gone away with Vision, the group happily supporting their newfound friendship with one another. Steve wishes everyone a good holiday - he’d learned to not say ‘Christmas’ out of respect for them, even though most celebrated that holiday. It was one of the culture shocks he had to deal with the first year after coming out of the ice. But now, it’s so ingrained into him, he sometimes forgets that people don’t mind hearing ‘Christmas’. 

Once everyone is gone, he looks to his right and sees Tony has his arms crossed and has a look on his face. It’s a look he’s grown accustomed to seeing - it’s his thinking face. His eyebrows are slightly scrunched up, his mouth set in a line as he keeps his arms crossed over his chest, his hands holding onto his elbows. Steve is about to ask if he’s alright when Tony starts to speak. 

“Let’s go to the city tonight.” 

He blinks, then looks out towards the grass field in front of the compound. “Tonight? You can, if you want. Someone should stay here, to make sure things are safe.” 

“FRIDAY will make sure things are taken care of, isn’t that right?” 

“Yes, boss.” The AI’s feminine voice comes through the speakers hidden by the ceiling panels above their heads. He’s still getting used to her, given that JARVIS is now a strong part of what made up Vision. “I’ll make sure that the compound stays safe and secure.” 

Steve turns towards Tony, and sees him looking up at him. “What do you say? Your room is still how you left it at the tower.” 

“I don’t know.” He isn’t sure he feels comfortable leaving the compound. “FRIDAY - if something happens, you’ll alert either myself or Tony, right?” 

“Yes, Captain Rogers.” Her words do little to soothe the anxiety he’s beginning to feel at going back to the tower after living here for almost two years. “You have nothing to worry about. If anything comes up, you will be the first two that I will notify.” 

Tony put his hand on his shoulder, Steve’s skin instantly going warm at the friendly touch. “Come on, Rogers - don’t tell me no. You know I don’t like to hear that word.” 

“Tony - it’s not that simple.” 

“Yes it is. Go and pack a bag. Make sure to throw in some nice clothes - unless you kept stuff at the tower?” 

“I did not.” Steve shakes his head. “Why do I need to pack nice clothes?” 

“Don’t you usually go to midnight mass? Don’t tell me you wear the stars and stripes to that.” 

He feels his cheeks heat up at the comment. “No, of course not. I dress like everyone else does - no need to stand out in the crowd.” 

“Oh, I’m pretty sure you stand out regardless of what you wear, but okay.” Tony waves his hand at him. “Go pack. I’ll grab my car and meet you out front. Don’t keep me waiting too long.” 

Tony walks off, leaving Steve to stand in the middle of the hallway looking like a fish out of water. He knows it would be rude to flat out tell Tony no, but what good is it going to do him to go with him back to the tower, when they’re going to be on opposite floors? And it’s not like Tony cares about the holiday anyway - at least on his desk he’s reminded of what time of year it is, unlike the rest of the compound which lacks any sort of holiday decoration. No tinsel trees, no twinkling lights, no reminder that Jesus has been born to save mankind. The last one was something he had become very accustomed to in this new era, as there were people that celebrate but not in the same collective way they had done so in the thirties and forties. 

He somehow winds up back in his room, a duffel bag on the bed and clothes in his hand that make it to said bag. He grabs his garment bag and throws in a couple of pairs of slacks, a few nice sweaters, two dress shirts, and one nice suit. In his duffel bag are a week’s worth of underwear - knowing Tony he should probably pack more as he might be out at the tower until the New Year, but he didn’t _want_ to stay out there that long. Although the company would be nice - no, wait. Tony won’t be around - he’ll be too busy running Stark Industries. What’s one more Christmas alone? Balling up some socks, he tosses them into his bag and starts to zip it up. 

His cell phone begins to vibrate in his pocket, his hand reaching for it without bothering to look at who’s calling him. “Rogers.” 

“I thought I told you to not keep me waiting too long.” Tony’s voice comes through loud and clear into his ear. “What the hell are you doing? Are you almost done?” 

“I just put the last item into my bag.” Steve picks up his garment bag and folds it over his arm, then picks up his duffel bag which is a bit on the heavier side. “It hasn’t been _that_ long, Tony.” He turns off the light, then closes his bedroom door, keeping the phone tucked against his shoulder. “I’ll be right out.” 

“Well, hurry up.” The call ended, Steve releasing another sigh as he put his phone back into his pocket. If it’s going to be like this the entire time, he isn’t sure that saying yes is the best decision he’s made. But Tony wouldn’t take no for an answer, so it’s a no win situation for himself. _He’ll be busy with work_. He reminds himself of that as he walks down the hallway and heads to the entrance, where he sees Tony’s Audi is parked. He hops out of the car, and takes both items from him. “Let me get those.” 

“Thank you.” Steve opens the passenger door, and is blasted with heat. It feels good, as a slight chill had appeared, but it hadn’t been cold enough for him to put on a jacket. His body runs hotter than the average human, and while Tony might have to wear a jacket in this weather, he did not. But, the heat is still a welcomed luxury that he still marvels at - if only they had had this technology back when cars were first invented. That is one thing he does love about being in the twenty-first century - things are a lot easier and a lot more comfortable than they were seventy plus years ago. 

Tony plops down into the driver’s seat, then puts the pedal to the metal as they take off at a quick start. He instinctively grabs onto the handle above the door, grasping it with his super strength, Tony chuckling beside him. “Calm down, Rogers - I’m going to get us there in one piece. You know I’m a safe driver.” 

“You’re a fast driver.” He replies, keeping a firm grip on the handle. “Really, Tony - I could have stayed at the compound. It’s not a big deal - it’s what I do every year.” 

“Don’t remind me.” They pull onto the highway, Steve breathing a little easier now that there are more cars on the road. There’s less chance of Tony being a Formula One driver. “I should have done this years ago - I’m sorry.” 

He blinks a few times. “Come again? Why are you apologizing?” 

“I should have offered to have you back at my place before now.” Tony grunts as they start to come to a crawl, the pathway to the city recognizable between both the taller buildings and congestion. “Call me a selfish asshole if you want, because you’d be right.” 

“I will do no such thing.” Steve shakes his head, his eyes going to the Empire State Building which has the red green and white scheme that’s always there this time of year. “You’re fine, Tony.” 

“Sometimes I don’t feel so fine, but for the sake of the holiday, I will say ‘okay’.” 

Holiday music plays on the radio, Steve getting lost in the music as they drive through Manhattan. He begins to wonder why Tony is being so nice right now, as it usually isn’t something he does off the cuff. As they pull into the garage under the Avengers tower, Steve takes a chance to look over at him and sees he looks a little strung out at the moment - his knuckles are white on the steering wheel, as if he’s gripping it in much the same way he’d been gripping the handle above the door as they’d left the compound. But the words don’t come as Tony parks in his spot, and turns the car off. 

“I’ll get your things, and then we’ll head up to your floor.” Tony says, pulling the keys out of the ignition. Steve nods, and unbuckles his belt, then steps out of the car and stretches. 

They take the elevator up to his floor - well, the floor that most of the Avengers had stayed on when they all lived here together - prior to taking over the compound from Stark Industries. It looks exactly the same as Steve remembers it - the living room decked out with an extra long couch so they could all lounge on it together if they wanted - which hardly ever happened, as well as the giant television that’s built into the wall, and an incredible view of Manhattan. 

“I’ll stop by tomorrow and see how you’re doing.” They walk together to Steve’s bedroom, Steve taking the items from him. “The office is closed for the next two weeks, but I’ll be working.” 

“Of course you will.” He grins, happy to see Tony looking a bit more relaxed than he had been in the car. “Hey - do you mind if I…” 

“No.” Steve stops talking as Tony looks up at him, a smirk on his lips. “I’m kidding, Cap. What’s up? What do you want to do?” 

Steve second guesses himself, then shakes his head. “No, it’s okay. It’s nothing.” He opens his bedroom door, and turns to look at Tony. “Good night - thanks for not killing us on the ride over.” 

“Ha ha.” Tony sticks his tongue out at him, then turns on his heel and heads back towards the elevator. 

He waits to hear the ‘ding’, letting him know that Tony is now gone, before dropping his bags onto his bed. The room looks exactly the same to the one he has at the compound - if anything, Tony pays attention to what he likes so that was a nice realization for him. He feels his phone vibrate, and then pulls it out to see a text message from Tony. 

“ _I don’t know what you couldn’t ask me, but it’s gonna bug me all night if you don’t tell me. So, could you do me a solid and tell me what you were going to ask before I so rudely told you no, even though I didn’t mean it?_ ”

Laughing quietly, he sits on the edge of the bed and starts to text him back. “ _I didn’t want to sound stupid. I was going to ask if I could decorate the floor with Christmas things - a tree or two, maybe some wall decorations_.” He had a few that he kept in storage at the compound - a small Charlie Brown tree that Natasha had given to him his first Christmas out of the ice that came with its own blanket just like in the movie, as well as some ‘Merry Christmas’ signs he’d bought at the local grocery store. She had given it to him after she made him watch the Charlie Brown Christmas special. But he didn’t want to bring them with him in the off-chance that Tony prefers he doesn’t decorate - it’s not like they ever decorated before when they lived here. 

He sees three dots on the screen, which Sam has told him means the person is replying back right away. “ _Why would I tell you no? I’m not Scrooge. Yes - decorate to your heart’s content. Actually, on second thought - no. Don’t_.” 

“ _What? Really??_ ” Steve tries not to get mad, especially since Tony has said he’s not Scrooge. But the way he’s acting sure makes him think he is. “ _You tell me yes, and now you’re telling me no?_ ” 

“ _Go to bed, Rogers. I’ll explain in the morning_.” 

Knowing there would be no point to go head to head with Tony right now, he gives in. “ _I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Stark_.” He doesn’t bother to say good night because right now he could care less if Tony were to have a good night or not. He looks at his bags and sighs. “I should have stayed at the compound.” He picks up his garment bag and goes over to his closet, then begins to put his clothes away before heading to bed for the night. 

***

Steve wakes up the next morning right at five, his internal alarm clock always getting him up before the break of dawn. Even before he was given the serum he had been an early riser. The serum made it more efficient. He grabs a pair of sweats and a shirt from his dresser, and a pair of socks. Stretching a little, he grabs his headphones and phone and heads out of his bedroom. 

When he walks into the living room, he stops short when he sees a few things that weren’t there before. He can see a space has been cleared next to the television - for what, he has no idea, but if it had anything to do with any of the other items he can see, he has a good guess what will be going there. There is tinsel hung up around the room, red and silver, strung up along the walls. He sees there are snowflakes hanging from the ceiling, all different patterns, and he can see that the rugs had been changed out from a black to one more festive to the season - a winter scene is woven into green fabric. He looks at the couch and sees Tony is fast asleep, a throw blanket clutched to his chest as he snores quietly. Figuring it would be a bad idea to wake him, he heads to the elevator and taps the down button, and steps inside as the panels open. Tony stays on the couch, Steve relaxing as the elevator begins to descend. 

Running through Manhattan, he decides that maybe coming to the city hadn’t been such a bad idea after all. It’s nice that New York really doesn’t sleep, so there are all kinds of people out and about right now - some going home from their late night out, some heading into work early to beat the rush. It’s one big melting pot that he loves to call home. Plus - it’s easier to run looking at the sights than having to stare at the woods like he would be doing if he were still at the compound. 

On his way back to the tower, he stops at a bakery that’s been open for the past hour and grabs a dozen donuts, and a few gourmet croissants as he knows Tony is a fan of them. At least, he used to be. Hoping that it was still the case, Steve jogs back to the tower with his spoils and takes the elevator back up to the Avengers floor. He sees Tony is still fast asleep on the couch, which makes him both sad and happy. Happy that he’s still sleeping, but sad that he is sleeping down here when he should be asleep in his bed up in the penthouse. 

He brews some strong coffee, and by the time it’s filling the pot that’s when Tony yawns, announcing that he’s awake. “What time is it?” Tony asks, shuffling over to where Steve has set out the pastries on plates for them. “Whoa. Are these fresh?” 

“No. They were here when we got here last night. I’m going to guess they are two, _maybe_ three years old.” Steve deadpans, as he puts two mugs on the counter and waits for the coffee to finish brewing. 

“Real cute, Steve.” Tony mumbles, as he pokes at one of the pastries to test its firmness. “Okay, they’re fresh.” 

“Of _course_ they’re fresh, Tony.” He pours the coffee into the mugs, and then hands one to Tony. “I like what you’ve done with the place.’ He points to the tinsel and snowflakes. “But why is that empty?” He points to the corner of the room. 

“We’re going to build a snowman.” 

“Is this another Frozen reference?” Steve asks, hoping that Tony is joking but he really can’t tell. It’s too early in the morning for Tony to be making jokes like that, so he can’t help but think that he’s being serious. “You aren’t really going to bring actual snow into the building, are you?” 

“No, I’m not - but thanks for thinking I could do something like that.” Tony takes a bit of the donut in his hand, and sits down at the counter. “You’ll find out what’s going there later. It’s still a bit early. But if you’re not doing anything today - you feel like going on a drive with me?” 

Grabbing a donut for himself, he leans against the back counter. “Aren’t you busy with work today?” 

“I told you last night that the office is shut down until the new year, or did you forget that?” Steve shakes his head, as he takes a bite of his donut. “Okay, then. Thank you for being concerned about my schedule, but I own the company - I’m pretty sure I can do whatever I want, whenever I want. And today I am taking the day off. You in, or not Rogers?” 

Steve exhales a sigh as he finishes his donut and takes a long sip of coffee. “I don’t think I’m really going to have a choice about this, am I?” 

“Sure you do. It’s like when Fury tells you you have to do something, but it’s not urgent.” The grin on Tony’s face has Steve smiling along with him as he knows exactly what he means. “If you want to say no, you can, but I would advise you not to.” 

“I bet.” Reaching for one more donut, he feels a burst of heat rush up his arm as Tony reaches for the same exact donut, the tips of their fingers brushing against each other before he yanks his hand away quickly as if he’d touched a hot surface. “Go ahead - take that one.” 

“No, you take it.” Tony reaches for another donut at the same time that Steve does, the act happening again as the tips of their fingers touch while trying to grab the second donut. “We can’t keep doing this.” 

“Then take the first donut, and let me take this one.” Steve stares back at him, the two of them practically glaring at each other over a stupid donut. “What was that you said about Director Fury?” 

The exacerbated sigh that leaves Tony’s mouth has Steve picking up the second donut in victory as he brings it up to his mouth to take a bite. “Fine, you win.” Tony stands up, and then finishes the coffee in his mug. “Be ready to go at nine.” Steve watches him walk over to the elevator and push the up button. “And I would say dress warm, but that really isn’t a thing for you, is it?” 

“Are we going somewhere that’s going to be cold?” 

“Maybe. I’m not telling you.” 

Steve sighs, and nods his head. “Fine - I’ll dress ‘warm’. If I overdo it-” 

“You will. See you at nine.” Tony steps into the elevator with his donut in his hand, and Steve keeps his eyes on him until the elevator doors close. 

Shaking his head, he finishes his own donut and looks out at the skyline. What in the world could Tony want to do that would require him to dress warm, and would fill the empty space in the corner of the room? Too many possibilities came to his mind, and while he’s gotten to know Tony quite well the last few years, he still isn’t sure what Tony means half the time they speak to one another. He puts the donuts away, and heads to his room to take a long hot shower, the grime of his run still clinging to his body. He has a couple of hours to kill before Tony returns to his floor. 

***

At nine on the dot, the elevator doors open and Tony stays in the cab, dressed in a large winter coat. “Come on, Rogers - let’s boogie.” 

“Boogie?” He grabs his own winter coat from the back of one of the chairs up against the kitchen counter and walks over to him. He’d put on a pair of jeans and layered up with a shirt and henley over it. “We’re not going dancing, are we?” 

“Why do you have to take things literally?” Tony hits the button for the garage, the doors closing as Steve goes to stand near him in the cab. “If I had said ‘shake a tail feather’, would you have produced a feather for me?” 

“Tony.” Steve groans, looking up at the numbers as they continued to descend down to the garage. “I’m not in the mood for your teasing. I can take a cab back to the compound if all you're going to do is be rude to me.” 

A hand comes up to Tony’s face, as he mimics a zipper being closed. “Sorry, Cap - I’m trying. This time of year really isn’t my thing.” 

“You don’t have to do this, then.” They walk to Tony’s car, the lights flashing as he unlocks it for them. “I don’t want you to be doing things that you don’t like to do just for my benefit. Because if there’s one thing I can’t stand is when someone thinks that I need something when I don’t.” 

“Steve - it’s okay. I like doing this. Should have done this a long time ago.” Getting into the car, Steve puts his seatbelt on and looks over at Tony who looks less tense than he did last night but there’s still an underlying tenseness about him. “How about some holiday music to get us in the mood?” 

“Sure, Tony.” He sits back and lets the holiday music take away the worries he’s conjured up in the last couple of hours. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going now?” 

“Nope. But sit back and relax, as we’ve got a little bit of a drive ahead of us.” 

He tries to do as Tony asks, but it’s hard to keep to the request. In his mind, he thinks about how Tony had looked sleeping earlier this morning on the couch - he knows the man doesn’t sleep much, not since what happened with the Chitauri. Then his thoughts return to the moment in the kitchen, when their fingers brushed against one another - feelings that were once very prevalent but he’d managed to smother out of respect for the man driving were beginning to return to the surface and Steve isn’t quite sure he wants to deal with that right now. But if there’s one thing he can always count on with Tony, it’s that he will keep him on his toes. 

“Tell me what you do after we all go home for the holidays.” Tony’s voice interrupts his idle thoughts, Steve noticing that they are now away from the city, heading north. “Why don’t you go home with Nat, or with Sam? Hell, I thought I heard Rhodey offer you to join him last year.” 

“You wouldn’t understand.” He mumbles, hating that Tony is asking him such a personal question. “It doesn’t matter - I stay at the compound because if there is an emergency while all of you are out with your loved ones, I can put the call out to Thor and we can take care of things while you are able to have your fun.” 

A loud groan comes from the man sitting beside you. “You are playing the role of a martyr when there doesn’t need to be one. You’re stupid, Steve.” 

“And you’re a grade A asshole.” He’s tired of hearing Tony constantly putting him down. “If it bothers you so much, why am I here right now??” 

They pull off the highway, and head down a long road, a few cars in front of them. “Sorry, Steve - I wasn’t trying to be rude by my comment.” 

“You were. Don’t lie.” 

“Okay, you’re right. I was, because that is seriously the _lamest_ excuse I’ve heard from someone. You know that FRIDAY is watching the facility - and hell, you probably could have asked Vision to stick around if you wanted to go somewhere.” 

Steve’s fists curl into balls against his thighs as he tries to keep calm. “You really don’t understand, do you?” 

“No, I don’t. That’s why I keep asking you, and you keep giving me excuses. Just tell me the truth, Steve.” 

“I have no one.” He looks down at his feet, his hands now clasped tightly together between his knees. “Natasha goes with Clint because they are close. Commander Rhodes has his family. Thor has his friends on Asgard. You have Pepper.” The reason why he’d smothered his feelings for the person sitting beside him, as he respects both Tony and Pepper to ever get in the way of that relationship. “I could go and see Peggy - but it’s always a painful visit. I _do_ go and visit her on Christmas, because it’s the least I can do - but other than her? I have no one.” 

“Well, you’re wrong.” The car is parked in a dirt lot, the smell of fried food coming towards them as plain as day. 

“About what?” Steve unbuckles his belt, and gets out of the car. It’s a lot chillier up where they are than back in the city, and he’s quick to put his winter coat on, the long wool coat resting against his shins. “Where the heck are we?” 

“About me and Pepper.” Tony points towards the east. “We’re walking that way.” 

“You’re not going to tell me, are you?” He looks down at Tony, who has gloves on now, and a wool hat that covers his ears as he looks up at him with a grin on his face. “And what do you mean I’m wrong about you and Pepper?” 

“We’re on an indefinite break, which pretty much means it’s over between us.” Tony shrugs his shoulders, and grabs his hand. “Come on, I really hope this place is the same. If it’s not, I’m really sorry.” 

“Stop apologizing for nothing.” Steve tries not to panic as he realizes Tony’s got a good grip on his hand, his fingers quick to find a space between his gloved fingers as they head towards what looks to be like…. “Christmas trees??” 

“Did you really think I was going to put a snowman in the corner?” Tony grins, the cheerfulness on his face making Steve’s heart hammer in his chest as an unexpected warmth starts to flow through his body. “We’re here to buy a Christmas tree - and maybe snack on some delicious fried food. They probably have cider too - if you want.” 

The thought of hot cider does sound pretty tempting to him. “Tony, I don’t know what to say.” 

“Don’t say anything - let’s go find a tree that will look great in the tower.” 

As they approach the tree farm, he sees that there’s a Christmas market set up outside of it, with a few food stalls next to them. People selling hand-crafted items, all beautiful pieces. He looks down and feels Tony’s fingers tighten against the back of his hand, letting him know that he’s not going to be pulling away any time soon. While they’re outside of the city, he’s a little worried they might be recognized, but if Tony doesn’t care then neither will he. 

They head over to the larger trees for sale, as the floor the Avengers stay on in the tower has a very high ceiling, and could easily support a tree ten feet tall or higher. Tony drags him over to a teen who looks like he’s volunteering to work here, and taps him on the shoulder. The kid turns around and stares at him with wide eyes, as if he can’t believe what he’s seeing. “Excuse me - how much for this twelve foot fir?” 

“You’re Tony Stark!” The kid exclaims, still staring at Tony with wide eyes. 

“No, I’m not.” Tony shakes his head. “But I get paid a lot of money because people think I am him. Same as this guy.” He nods his head towards Steve. “You don’t really think he’s Captain America, do you?” 

The teen stares at them with his mouth dropped open. “What my friend is trying to say is-” Steve starts to talk, but then stops as Tony talks over him. 

“We just want to know what the cost is of that beautiful fir. Now, can you give me that answer?” 

“S-Sure, sir.” The kid walks over to the tree that Tony had apparently picked out as they’d walked over here, Steve following Tony’s lead although he doesn’t really like lying about his real identity. “It’s three hundred and twenty-five dollars, sir.” 

“We’ll take it.” 

“That’s too much!” Steve exclaims. “No, can we see something in the hundred to one fifty range?” 

“That will get you a six foot tree, sir.” The teen looks at him, shrugging his shoulders. “This is a fair price for a fir.” 

“He’s right.” Tony pulls out his wallet. “Where do I go to pay? Can you and a buddy come and strap it down to the roof of my car?” 

“Yes, sir. And you pay over there.” A ticket gets handed to Tony. “Are you really not Tony Stark?” 

“Kid, if I was - don’t you think I’d be on a beach somewhere, avoiding this crazy weather?” Tony smirks. “I’m flattered you think I’m him, but I’m not.” 

“Crazy how much you look like him.” The kid mumbles under his breath, then goes and grabs one of the other volunteers to help him with the tree they’re about to buy. 

Steve walks with Tony over to where they’re going to pay. “You sure that’s not too expensive?” 

“You know I’m a billionaire, right?” Tony looks up at him, the smile back on his face. “I could have gone for a pricier one, but this farm has been around a long time. Feels good supporting their business.” 

“Did you come here as a kid?” 

“Not with my parents.” That doesn’t surprise Steve, as he knows the relationship Tony had with his family was rough at best. “But yes - I’d come out here with some of our house staff to find the best trees to decorate our house for my parents’ holiday parties.” 

“You know we’re going to have to buy ornaments.” 

“Already taken care of. They should be on your floor when we get back.” Tony walks up to the register, and pays for the tree in cash, then leaves a generous two hundred dollar tip. “Let’s get some hot apple cider for the drive back.” 

“Sounds good.” He refrains from calling Tony by his name, since his ruse is that they’re not who they really are. 

Grabbing two of the largest options available of cider, they walk to the car with the two carrying their tree and Steve watches as they expertly tie it down to the roof. Once they’re done, Tony tips both the kids and then Steve is putting his seatbelt back on as he balances his cider on his knee. “When’s the last time you had a Christmas tree?” He asks Tony, as they pull out of the lot, the heater now blasting, making the cold disappear from the tip of his nose. 

“Years ago. So long that I can’t remember - how pathetic is that?” Tony looks over at him, a somewhat sad smile on his face. “So, don’t think I’m doing this for you, Rogers. I have a stake in this myself.” 

“Of course, Stark.” Steve turns his head to look out the window, hiding the smile that’s growing on his face as he takes Tony’s tone to heart. He knows that Tony is acting big and tough right now to save face, and Steve doesn’t really understand why but respects him all the same. 

They listen to more Christmas music, Steve humming along to one of the newer Christmas tunes that he’d learned about his first Christmas out of the ice. “Is it tough?” Tony asks, Steve turning to look at him. He sees Tony staring straight ahead, his hands back to gripping the steering wheel with a death-like grip. 

“Is what tough?” He asks, not sure what Tony’s line of reasoning is behind his question. It could mean a myriad of things, and really - he finds it best to ask rather than assume. Save himself from potential embarrassment. 

“Having to learn all these new things. Is it tough?” Tony glances at him, then looks back at the road as they are getting closer to New York City proper. “I bet it’s frustrating as all hell.” 

“It can be.” Steve agrees, happy to have Tony ask him such a question. “And I guess it was in the beginning, but now that I’ve been out for a few years - it’s not as bad.” 

“I bet the holidays are the worst, though.” 

“They are.” He doesn’t bother to correct Tony because he’s right. It’s always difficult for him this time of the year - especially when he winds up being alone in the compound. Last year had been especially rough as he had nightmare after nightmare of his time back with the Howling Commandos - nothing quite like remembering celebrating Christmas with the soldiers while they were on a mission to find more HYDRA bases. “I guess they won’t be this year, though.” 

Tony releases a grunt, and Steve sees him nod his head as they get into the thick of traffic. He doesn’t bother to say anything else to him, allowing him to concentrate on the road, and instead settles back and listens to one of the better recordings of ‘Sleigh Ride’ play through the car stereo. 

He helps Tony cut the rope off the car, then grabs the tree, being careful to not jostle it too much as he doesn’t want the needles to go everywhere. The elevator is tough - they had to tilt the tree to get it in, and left it at an angle as they rode the elevator back up to the Avengers floor. There were four very large boxes near the elevator, Tony looking elated at seeing them. “Decorations?” Steve asks, as he carries the tree over to the corner of the room. “I hope you got a tree stand.” 

“I did!” Tony tears the tape off one of the boxes and then abandons it for the next one. “Aha!” He holds up the tree base, and carries it over to where Steve is holding the tree. “There you go, Cap.” 

“Water.” He sees Tony nod, and then gets the base of the tree secured into the stand. 

The smell of the fir is already filling up the area with the best smell in the world - at least, to Steve it was. He loves the smell of a fresh Christmas tree - his family had been too poor to have one. He had gotten a fake Christmas tree when he was thirteen, and before that they had used a small lamp that his mother had said was good enough. The fake Christmas tree had been nice - although there were never any presents under the tree; they were too poor to afford them. It didn’t matter - they had a blessed Christmas every year together, until he received the serum and then traveled the country, then flew over to Europe. 

“You okay, Steve?” He looks to his left and sees Tony has brought some of the boxes over. “Ghosts haunting you right now?” 

“I haven’t had a real tree, ever.” He comments, happy that he doesn’t have to explain to Tony that yes, his thoughts were bogging him down. “This is a real treat, Tony.” 

“You guys had a fake one?” A string of lights is handed to him, and he starts to twine it around the branches, tucking it in at Tony’s insistence. “Huh - that’s wild. I would have thought that would be way more expensive than a real tree.” 

“It was a gift.” Steve shrugs his shoulders as he grabs another strand of lights from Tony, and continues to wind it around the tree. “People were kind back then too, you know.” 

“Color me surprised.” Tony hands him one more string of lights that he tucks into the branches, finally getting the hang of it. “Do you have a tree at the compound?” 

He steps back to admire the work, and sees Tony plug in the string of lights, the fir becoming a colorful tree that now needs to be decorated with ornaments. “You’ll laugh if I tell you.” 

“I won’t. Scouts honor.” He looks over at him and sees him holding up three fingers. “Okay, I was never a scout, but give me a break.” 

Laughing, Steve nods. “Fine. The first Christmas I spent out of the ice, Natasha gave me a list of Christmas movies I needed to watch - which I did. And after watching the Charlie Brown special, I saw a tree that was like Linus’ - it came with a blanket and single ornament. That’s been my tree the last few years.” 

“How adorable.” Tony grabs a box of ornaments from the box, and opens it. “Want to do this together?” 

“Hey FRIDAY - can you please play some holiday music?” Steve asks, as he nods his head. 

“Sure, Captain Rogers.” 

‘Come All Ye Faithful’ starts to play through the speakers, Steve humming to himself as he starts to put hooks on the ornaments. “You really like Christmas, don’t you?” 

Looking at Tony, he smiles and nods. “I do. It’s a time of rebirth - a time to reflect on what you’re grateful for. I’m a lucky guy.” 

“Are you?” Another box is handed to him after they finish putting the ornaments up, ‘God Rest Ye Gentlemen’ now filling the room. “Because it sure sounds like you aren’t to me.” 

He pauses putting up another ornament. “Why do you think that?” 

“You said you’ve been alone for the last few years - I feel like a complete asshole because I was too involved in my own personal bullshit to not see that.” Tony doesn’t look at him as he talks, Steve’s heart beginning to swell in his chest as he hears Tony speak in a way he’s not used to. “You said to stop apologizing, but I _can’t_. I know I’ve been a royal asshole - sitting here in my luxury while I left you at the compound to fend for yourself - talk about grossly over privileged.” 

Reaching over, he put a hand on Tony’s upper arm, brown eyes quick to look up at him. “I don’t resent you, Tony. Nor do I think you did anything selfishly. You had Pepper - you had your own life to think about. I don’t expect any of you to see me as something like that - I know I’m a man trapped out of time, but I’m trying.” 

“You should.” 

“Excuse me?” 

Tony keeps staring up at him, the beating of his heart beginning to fill his own ears as he gets trapped in his eyes. “You’re family, Steve. Don’t look at yourself as outside of the box as you’re not - with any of us.” 

“Tony, I-” 

The silence extends for a few more seconds as they stare at each other, Steve trying to see what it is that Tony is trying to say. He can see something in his eyes, but what he sees there doesn’t reflect the expression on his face. Steve holds his breath, and then Tony breaks off their eye contact by looking down at the box of ornaments. “Shit. Need another box.” He swears under his breath, then steps away from Steve. 

He exhales, his shoulders dropping as the tension drains from his body. But the air feels different - the two of them on the cusp of breaching their relationship in a way that Steve isn’t sure will be a good thing or bad thing. With a quiet sigh, he follows Tony over to the box, where they choose their next set of ornaments to put on the tree. 

It takes them a couple of hours to finish decorating the tree, Steve now sitting on the couch to admire their work .”It’s beautiful, Tony.” He comments, the sky having become cloudy, the room bright with the lights from the Christmas tree. “You picked some good ornaments.” 

“Thanks, Steve.” Tony sits on the opposite side of the couch, Steve trying not to pay too much attention to the physical distance that now separates them. After spending those couple of hours so close, it feels strange to be apart now. 

More contemporary hits are now playing through the speakers, Steve not as used to these songs but finds himself enjoying them as he eats another donut with a fresh cup of coffee. “Do you have plans for dinner?” He casually asks Tony, who he sees is looking out the window. “Tony?” 

“Hmm?” Tony turns back to look at him. “What did you ask?” 

“As filling as donuts are, I think I should probably eat real food soon.” Steve pops the last bit of his donut into his mouth, chews and swallows before continuing. “I was going to go to the store and pick up some food. Can I pick anything up for you? Or do you have something going on tonight?” 

“Thanks for the offer, but yes - I have a ‘thing’.” He looks down at the Patek Philippe he wears on his wrist, Steve always impressed by the watches he has. “I should get going.” 

Standing up, he follows Tony to the elevator, the itch to hold his arms out and offer him a hug one he ignores as he keeps his arms firmly planted by his sides. “Thanks for this.” He points to the decorations, then to the tree. “This will definitely help me feel the Christmas spirit.” 

“No problem. Happy to help.” The elevator opens, and Tony rushes to get inside. “Take care of yourself, Steve. And Merry Christmas.” 

“Merry Christmas, Tony.” He plants a smile on his face as he waits for the doors to close. Once they do, he turns around and drops the smile, his chest now aching in a way that he remembers too well. _Darn it_. He hadn’t intended to take all of Tony’s nice gestures to heart, but here he is, now nursing a wounded heart as Tony returns to his penthouse, leaving him alone. 

Steve walks to his bedroom and grabs his jacket, and then heads back to the elevator. He had to get food for the rest of the week, and since he’s got a few days before the actual holiday he hopes that it won’t be too awful at the grocery store. As he walks down the block, he heads to the shop he frequented the most when he used to live at the tower and sees that it’s packed - _so much for avoiding the rush_ \- and grabs a basket to fill up with the necessities for the next week. He grabs a decent, but slightly overpriced, roast from the butcher to make for Christmas, and then gets a few side dishes already made that all he’ll have to do is heat up in the oven. Deciding to be a little bit more decadent, he grabs a cake to enjoy, and a few good bottles of wine. 

He grabs a sandwich from the deli two buildings over from the tower for dinner, then returns back to the Avengers floor just as it begins to snow. Steve fixes a plate for his dinner after putting his groceries away, then goes to sit by the Christmas tree. The room _should_ feel warm and welcoming, but right now it feels cold and depressing, even with the tree decorated as nicely as it is. 

Grabbing his phone, he pulls up his text message with Tony. “ _You busy?_ ” 

“ _Hardly. What’s up?_ ” 

“ _If you’re not busy, come back down here? I-_ ” He stops typing and accidentally hits send before finishing his thought. 

The phone rings, Steve quickly answering. “You what?” Tony asks, neither of them saying hello to one another. 

“I don’t feel like being alone - and I’ve got a feeling you don’t want to be either.” Steve sticks to his guns, hoping that this won’t blow up in his face. 

“You don’t know that.” He doesn’t hear any denial in Tony’s voice as he says that, though. 

“You’re right - I don’t. But I can hope that you don’t want to be alone, so I can selfishly ask you to spend a little more time with me. I won’t bother you after today.” The words taste awful in his mouth, but if it will get Tony down here, then he’ll deal with it later. “Please, Tony?” 

A sigh comes through the receiver. “I’ll be down in ten. Did you eat?” 

“I did. Did you?” 

“Yes, but I could go for something sweet.” 

“I bought a cake.” 

“A cake? What kind?” 

“Double chocolate.” 

“Perfect. See you soon, Steve.” 

Their call ends, Steve dropping his phone on the couch. Suddenly the room feels a bit warmer than it had felt five minutes ago. Trying not to get too excited by the thought of spending more time with Tony, Steve cleans up his mess and gets the cake out of the fridge, setting it on the counter next to the donuts that are now in a sealed container, keeping them fresh for at least another twenty-four hours. 

“What are you doing?” Tony asks, his voice startling Steve as he turns around and sees him standing right behind him. 

He looks down at Tony, and releases a tense laugh. “When did you get here? I didn’t hear the elevator.” 

“I snuck in.” Tony winks, then holds something up in his hand. “Know what this is?” 

His eyes look at the small plastic bag, his heartbeat returning to an accelerated rate as he looks at the plant that’s in the bag. Green leaves that have little white flowers scattered throughout the branches, with a red bow tied at the top of the clippings - he knows _exactly_ what it is, and finds that it’s becoming a bit difficult to breathe as he stares at it. “What are you doing with that?” 

“It’s why I left.” Steve stands still as Tony steps a little closer to him, holding the bag up above his head. “The Boy Scouts always sell this down on the street, and I figured in the spirit of Christmas that maybe I should buy some from them.” 

“It’s supposed to be put on the ceiling, or a doorframe.” He says, his mouth suddenly very dry. “You can’t hold it, Tony.” 

“I can do whatever I damn well want.” Tony stares up at him, a grin on his lips that makes his heart stutter in his chest. “But, if you’re really that traditional, I suppose I could-” 

Knowing that Tony will never stop talking about it, he drops his head down to Tony’s and presses a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth. He doesn’t feel Tony push him away - not that he expects to since he’s got the mistletoe in his hand, but he has to make sure before turning his head to leave a proper kiss on his lips. Tony’s lips feel soft under his, and then he feels him return the kiss with a gentle push forward, Steve’s mouth opening slightly to see if Tony will take the kiss one step further. And when he feels Tony’s tongue slip into his mouth, Steve knows he’s done for as he wraps his arms around Tony’s frame and pulls him to be flush against him. 

The need to breathe becomes something they no longer can ignore, so Steve pulls away, bringing his forehead to Tony’s as they both take deep breaths. “Don’t run away from me again.” Steve whispers, knowing that that’s what Tony had done before. “You want to be here with me, don’t you?” 

“More than I should.” The answer causes his stomach to give a little flip, as he returns his lips back to Tony’s for another kiss. “This wasn’t supposed to happen.” 

“It never is.” Steve can’t tear himself away from Tony. “You….we….” 

A finger touches his lips. “Don’t overthink this, Steve. Let me do that for the both of us, okay?” 

“Right.” It would be pointless to put too much thought into this. “You’re not doing this because you think this is what I want, are you?” 

“I’ve wanted to kiss you for years, so no. I am not doing this because this is what you want - I’m doing this because it’s what _I_ want, and what better time to do it than during the holidays?” Tony reaches up and touches his face, Steve’s eyes closing as he turns into the touch. “I should have done this a long time ago.” 

“I’m glad you didn’t.” Steve kisses the center of his palm, then lowers his head to kiss Tony on the lips again. “Is that why you sat at the opposite end of the couch?” 

“I was working through some things.” He feels Tony nod his head as they share a few more kisses. “I’m a handful, Steve.” 

“You think I don’t know that?” Cupping his hand against Tony’s face, he stares into his eyes. “I don’t care - I’m willing to deal with whatever you think you can do to self-sabotage a relationship with me.” 

“You’re going to regret saying that.” 

“I don’t think I will.” Steve grins, as he rubs his thumb over Tony’s cheek, his brain refusing to process that this is actually happening. It’s not a dream - they are discussing a probable relationship. “You know I’m a one guy kind of man.” 

“If you’re concerned I’m seeing someone, I’m not.” Tony shakes his head. “My eye has been on you for the last year - I’ve just been too scared to take the next step.” 

He laughs softly, returning his forehead to rest against Tony’s. “Is that why you told me I was coming back here with you? Was that your way of putting your plan into action?” 

“Did it work?” 

“I would say yes.” Bringing his lips back to Tony’s, he kisses him flush on the lips before pulling his face away from his. “Let’s watch ‘White Christmas’, and eat some cake.” 

“You’re not going to sing along, are you?” Tony asks, as he nods his head in reply to Steve. 

Shrugging his shoulders, he takes the cake out of its container and slices two slices for them. “Guess you’ll have to wait and see, won’t you?” 

“Great.” 

Steve refrains from singing along as he sits with Tony by his side on the couch, the two of them finishing their cake ten minutes into the film. He puts his arm around him and feels him tense up, but then relaxes against him, Steve unable to keep the biggest smile off of his face. Once the movie is done, Tony suggests they watch his favorite movie, which FRIDAY puts on for them. 

“How is this a Christmas movie??” Steve shakes his head, as he watches Bruce Willis crawl through an air conditioning vent. “This is _not_ a Christmas movie, Tony.” 

“Tell that to the millions of people that would agree with me. Die Hard is definitely a Christmas movie.” 

“Just because it takes place at Christmas doesn’t mean it’s a Christmas movie.” He groans, burying his face against Tony’s neck. “I can fight better than most of these people in the movie.” 

“So can I, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy it.” Steve keeps his face against his neck as an explosive goes off on the screen. “Come on, you’re going to miss the best part.” 

“The best part is right here.” Steve murmurs into Tony’s ear, and hears him inhale. “Let me spend my time the way I want to spend it, Stark.” 

“You really know how to get my heart going, Rogers - you know that?” 

“I had sort of hoped that I could do that.” 

“FRIDAY - kill the movie.” 

“You got it, boss.” The AI’s voice comes through the overhead speakers in the ceiling. 

Steve pulls back as he looks Tony in the eyes. “Stay down here with me tonight.” 

“Like I was going to go back upstairs.” Tony nodded his head. “Let’s go, before I change my mind.” 

“Tony.” 

“I’m kidding, Steve.” 

They walk back to his bedroom together, and not at all wanting to rush things, Steve keeps his pajama pants on, being respectful towards Tony. But as soon as they get under the covers together, that respect disappears as Tony practically throws himself at him, which Steve can only welcome with open arms. A night of passion is had unlike any he’s ever known, his hands learning all the places that make Tony gasp and moan, and vice versa. They wind up staying up until almost three in the morning, Tony passing out on him which he could only smile about. Steve falls asleep with Tony in his arms, the two of them staying in that position for the rest of the night. 

Christmas Eve comes quick. Tony accompanies Steve to the midnight mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral without any sort of complaints leaving his mouth which Steve takes to heart. He knows Tony hates religious things, but with him by his side in the pew Steve feels more complete than he has in a very long time. No one pays them any attention - the two of them blending in with the rest of the crowd, their fingers staying laced together between the space between their thighs as they listen to the mass. It was the best Christmas service he’s ever been to, and that’s because Tony had been with him. 

Christmas Day is quiet - they watch more movies, and cuddle together under a blanket drinking copious amounts of hot cocoa, and eat a lot of the gift baskets that Tony had received from clients that work with Stark Industries. Steve couldn’t help but tell Tony over and over how much he appreciates these moments, as they’ve made this Christmas the best one yet. 

On New Years Eve, they watch the ball drop from the television screen, Tony sitting comfortably on his lap as they share a kiss that begins on December thirty-first and ends on January first. Steve then carries Tony back to his bedroom where they share their first sexual experience of the new year together. 

“People are going to start coming back to the compound tomorrow.” Tony murmurs against his chest, the two of them laying naked under the sheets. “I guess you should go back, huh?” 

“I don’t have to.” He stops combing his fingers through the short strands of hair on the back of his neck. “I could stay here, and head out to the compound on a daily basis.” 

“You’d do that?” Looking down at Tony, who has his chin balanced on his sternum, Steve nods his head. “Or, I could just relocate to the compound.” 

“So, this is going to continue?” Steve tries to keep the excitement out of his voice, but it’s difficult as he sort of accepted the fact that Tony would put an end to this once everyone came back. 

“Duh. I love you, Steve. You’re not getting away from me that easily - not when it took a swift kick in my ass to get you here with me.” Tony crawls up to him and kisses him on the lips. “Now is when you say it back to me.” 

“I love you too, Tony.” He smiles, cupping his face as he pulls him back down to kiss him again. “I love you with all of my heart.” 

“Happy to hear it, Steve.” 

They return to the compound two days later, Tony holding tight to his hand as they walk into the common room where Natasha, Clint and Sam are sitting. Natasha looks up from her book, then looks back down but he can see a smile on her face. “Took you guys long enough.” She comments. 

“Hey, I’ll have you know that-” 

Steve ignores Tony’s rant to Natasha as he pulls him to be a little closer to him. While the past Christmas’ have taught him that he doesn’t need anyone in his life, this past Christmas has shown him that having someone with him to celebrate isn’t all too bad. And since they are now together, he knows that he’s got a lot of holidays to look forward to with Tony Stark - and he cannot wait. 


End file.
